Shipping products is a complicated process. There are many ways to make mistakes and lose money, both during the shipping process and after the product has been delivered. It is important to understand the mistakes that you need to avoid when shipping your products before sending them out into the world.
That’s why it’s important to take care before you ship your first package; knowing what not to do will save you time, money, and frustration down the line. Here are some common mistakes that should be avoided:
Improper Packing
Packages that are shipped carelessly often do not arrive intact. Get help from Coolparcel here when met with this sort of situation. Even if this is not the case, when a package does not arrive in one piece, it may be subject to refusal by the buyer and returned to the seller with additional expenses.
Packages should be properly packed so that they can stand up to the rigors of shipping and arrive intact at their destination. There are two components to proper packing: 1) cushioning and 2) securing items in place. Using these techniques will minimize the risk of damage during transit, and it will also help you avoid paying a lot of money when getting your product from point A to point B.
‘Not’ Automating the Shipping Process
Selling and shipping your products is a relatively straightforward process, but it is also tedious. There are many traps along the way that can eat up hours of your time on workdays and weekends. If you want to save yourself from stress and lost money/time, consider hiring a third-party company to handle all of your packaging needs. This will ensure that your products are shipped on time, but it also ensures that they are done correctly.
Automating the shipping process should be seen as an investment rather than an expense. It may initially seem like a waste of money to pay someone else to do something you feel capable of doing yourself. However, when you consider how many hours you will be able to save by outsourcing this task, it becomes clear that automation is actually a safe bet for your business.
Insufficient Shipping Options for the Customers
As a business owner, you have a responsibility to ship products in the most efficient, easiest way possible for your customers. This does not mean that you should always use the cheapest shipping option available; instead, it means that you should strategically choose the best type of shipping for each customer based on their location and product size/weight.
This will save you money in the long run, because it will prevent you from spending more than necessary on shipping costs. It also ensures that products are delivered to customers quickly and safely, which is important if you want them to come back for future purchases.
Choosing the cheapest option when selling products can be tempting; however, this should never be done at the expense of your customers. Taking the time to find out which shipping option is best for each product/customer will save you money and ensure that goods are delivered unharmed.
Failing to Communicate with Buyers
Selling products online means that you will inevitably have to deal with unhappy buyers at some point or another. When this happens, you need to be able to communicate with them in an understanding, professional manner. This is not always easy when dealing with unhappy customers, but it’s important that the customer feels they are being heard.
When this is accomplished successfully, you can repair your relationship with the buyer and keep them coming back for future purchases. By failing to communicate with your buyers, you are not only upsetting them but also driving away precious business. Consider the time it will take you to handle an unhappy customer.
If your buyer is making unreasonable requests and you feel that it would be faster and easier just to refund their money and send the product back, then this might be a good choice – especially if they’re being pushy. However, if the buyer simply wants to be heard and you can handle the situation quickly and painlessly, then it might be worth keeping them as a customer – even if this means sending them a replacement part for free before they return the product.
Incorrect Shipping Address
If you are selling your products online, then it is likely that you will be receiving orders from all over the world. It is important to double-check each order before sending it out to make sure that the address is correct; this prevents issues like lost packages or even lawsuits down the line.
When an order comes in, always check for an incorrect address. If you notice an error, make sure to contact the customer before shipping out the order; they may even be able to resend their order with the correct information so that it can be delivered successfully.
Inaccurate/Estimated Weight of the Shipment
It can be tempting to round up figures when estimating the weight of a shipment. However, it is important to provide accurate information so that shipping prices do not become inflated and customers aren’t overcharged for their orders. Be sure to double-check your calculations before finalizing shipping costs with your customer; this will ensure that they are not overcharged because of incorrect weight estimation.
If you are using an online shipping platform to create shipping labels for your orders, then1 double-check that the weight is accurate before printing. If you have spent all day picking up a shipment and don’t want to waste time recalculating, then take a few minutes to look over everything one more time before finalizing the order.
Not Maintaining Delivery Receipts
If you are selling products online, then it is important that they are delivered to customers in a timely fashion. If you want your customers to come back for future purchases, then they need to receive their items when promised. This can be tricky if you are shipping overseas or to rural areas, but it is still possible with the right tools. When you ship an order, always keep a digital or paper copy of the shipping label/receipt for your records.
Shipping mistakes can be costly and time-consuming. To help you avoid those, we’ve compiled a list of the most common shipping errors that business owners make and how to fix them.
